Harden-Thompson rivalry has roots in California high schools

HOUSTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 29: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets poses at the Rockets Media Day at the Toyota Center on September 29, 2014 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

HOUSTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 29: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets poses at the Rockets Media Day at the Toyota Center on September 29, 2014 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Photo: Scott Halleran, Staff

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Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson warms up before Game 2 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals against the Houston Rockets in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, May 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson warms up before Game 2 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals against the Houston Rockets in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, May 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Photo: Tony Avelar, FRE

Harden-Thompson rivalry has roots in California high schools

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Klay Thompson wasn't mentioned on the scouting report.

The sophomore at Santa Margarita High School was getting ready to face a junior from Artesia High School, James Harden, in the California Interscholastic Federation Championship.

Scott Pera, the Artesia coach at the time and now an assistant at Rice, said he doesn't remember Thompson then.

"I might have had him listed as a guy who could shoot the ball, a guy not to leave open," Pera said. "But he certainly wasn't their best player or anyone we were game-planning against."

Harden's team won that day. Almost a decade later, he and Thompson are competing for another championship. This time it's for the Western Conference title, and both are at the top of the scouting reports.

Thompson, a 6-7 guard, and Harden, a 6-5 guard, have come a long way. Both were late bloomers in an area with an abundance of talent. And now both are trying to lead their teams as the Warriors and Rockets battle for a spot in the NBA Finals.

"It's really cool," Thompson, 25, said. "It's awesome because I know he works really hard. I saw it last summer firsthand with Team USA and we were both late bloomers. We weren't really highly touted until late in our high school careers."

Harden, 25, ended up at Arizona State and Thompson at Washington State before the two moved on to the next level.

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They played each other twice in high school - with Artesia and Santa Margarita splitting the games. They also faced each other twice in college, and Thompson's Cougars came out on top both times.

Harden left for the NBA after his sophomore year and Thompson after his junior season.

The two have seen each other on the court several times since then, but they became closer when they starred on the Team USA roster last summer.

They haven't talked to each other during their playoff runs, but Thompson said they will in the offseason. For now, they are just enjoying the ride.

"Yeah, it's a lot of fun," Thompson said. "We will probably talk about it more later. There is no love lost, either. We are both going so hard and trying to do the best for our teams and win. It's fun because we are both SoCal products and we grew up there in the same era."

They could have been teammates at one point. Pera said he scouted Thompson on the recruiting trail after he left Artesia and coached for the Sun Devils, but Arizona State didn't give Thompson an offer. Pera regrets not bringing Thompson to Arizona State.

"I just wasn't sure if physically if he would be able to hold up in that league," Pera said. "Obviously he could make a shot, but to see what he has become is incredible, and I am really happy for him. There were a lot of guys in the Pac-10 at the time that sure wish we would have watched a little closer or been a little smarter."

Thompson and Harden were two of many talented players during a strong era of high school basketball in the area.

"I go back and look at James and the guys we played against - Quincy Pondexter, the Lopez twins, the Morris twins, Klay Thompson, Brandon Jennings," Pera said. "I mean on and on and on of guys who have had great pro careers, played in the NBA or played overseas for years."

Harden and Thompson are matching up in the playoff series; Harden has been Thompson's No. 1 priority on defense.

Harden said playing against an old friend makes the series all the more fun.

"We battle," Harden said. "We compete. We've known each other a long time, and last summer we hung out a lot. To be in this situation now, it makes it more fun, but it's still a war out there."